DUBUQUE, Iowa (September 18, 2021) - Buena Vista scored the first 17 points of the game but Loras used a strong second quarter and a big second half to hold off the Beaver football team, 55-34, in Saturday's American Rivers Conference opener for both teams.

BVU had things clicking out of the gate on both sides of the football and were able to push itself out to a three-score advantge.  Running back Keaton Huebner provided a pair of first quarter touchdown runs, finding the end zone first from nine yards out before exploding through the middle of the line on the first play from scrimmage late in the frame for a career-long 80-yard burst.  Ramon Garcia, the reigning A-R-C Special Teams Performer of the Week, also added the first of his two field goals on the day between the touchdown runs.

The Duhawks blocked a punt attempt deep in BVU territory early in the second quarter that proved to a be momentum builder for them.  They went on to outscore the Beavers in the second frame, 21-7 and pulled within 24-21 at intermission.  The lone Beaver score in that quarter came on a 34-yard run from quarterback Brandon Kyles, with under 5:00 left in the half which made it a 24-14 BVU advantage.  The Duhawks pulled within a field goal in the final seconds of the half when they took over at their own 30-yard line and used a 67-yard pass that set-up a three-yard score with only 20 ticks left.

BVU got a big special teams play on the first drive of the second half, blocking a punt of its own that was recovered and returned 15 yards to the Duhawk 15-yard line.  The offense, however, had to settle for Garcia's second field goal which made it a 27-21 lead.

A bad snap by the Beavers deep in their own territory after the defense had just come up with a big fourth down stop, gave Loras the ball back which led to its first lead of the game following a two-yard rush.  The Duhawks added two more scores before the end of the period and took a 42-27 lead to the fourth.  BVU fell behind 48-27 before senior Eric Pacheco hauled in a two-yard touchdown reception with just less than four minutes left in the game.  Loras responded with one final score just over one minute later.

The Beavers finished the game with 201 yards rushing but was limited to just 142 through the air after going for more than 350 yards passing in each of the first two contests.  Huebner turned in 120 of those yards and two scores while Kyles was next at 60 yards on 17 carries.  Kyles was 14-of-26 with the arm for 114 yards and a pair of interceptions.  Pacheco was the leading receiver with eight grabs but just 59 yards.

Sigwarth passed for 377 yards and five touchdowns to pace a Duhawk offense that chalked up 586 yards of total offense.

Landon Weber and Brady McConaty each posted six tackles and a pair for a loss to help lead BVU on defense.

Buena Vista dips to 1-2 overall (0-1 A-R-C) and will look to rebound next Saturday, September 25, when it returns home to host Luther College at 1:00 p.m.  It will be Family Weekend on campus and also a Community Night game with FREE admission to all fans.